1. Filed of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric junction box installed in an engine room of a vehicle and receiving electric component such as a fuse, a relay and so on.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various electric devices are mounted on a vehicle. In the vehicle, an electric junction box is arranged in a suitable place between an electric wire and the electronic device so as to supply electric power with the various electronic devices. Various electric junction boxes are used depending on the type of vehicle. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in a conventional electric junction box 10, block holding various electric parts in a case 1 is received. The case 1 includes a case body 4 made of synthetic resin, an upper cover (not shown) attached to an upper side of the case body 4, and a lower cover 5 attached to a lower side of the case body 4. The electric junction box 10 is attached to an engine room of the vehicle.
In the case body 4, a partition wall 42 separating the case body 4 into a plurality of sections is arranged. In the sections separated by the partition wall 42, a cassette block 2 and a power integration 3 are respectively received. The cassette block 2 is a block for holding the electric parts such as a fuse and a relay. Further, the power integration 3 is a block for holding a substrate mounting the fuse and the relay.
In the cassette block 2 and the power integration 3, wiring harnesses L1, L2 are respectively guided toward the lower cover 5. Each of the wiring harnesses L1, L2 is constructed by bundling a plurality of electric wires. Further, in the case body 4 and the lower cover 5, a guide portion 9 as a guide hole for guiding the wiring harnesses L1, L2 to an outside of the case body 4 is arranged. In the conventional electric junction box 10, as shown in FIG. 5, the wiring harnesses L1, L2 which are guided from the cassette block 2 and the power integration 3 are respectively passed between the partition wall 42, and guided to the guide portion 9 (Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Therefore, when the number of the electric wires is large, the bundle of the electric wires can not be received in a gap between the partition wall 42 of the case body 4 near the guide portion 9 where the electric wires are concentrated and the lower cover 5. As a result, there is a problem such that the lower cover 5 can not be closed. Also, if the lower cover 5 is forcibly closed, the wiring harnesses L1, L2 are forcibly pressed into the gap between the partition wall 42 of the case body 4 and the lower cover 5. Thereby, external force is applied to the electric wires of the wiring harnesses L1, L2 by the partition wall 42 of the case body 4 and the lower cover 5, and the electric wires are received with a condition bent forcibly. As a result, the electric wires are damaged. Specifically, when an aluminum electric wire having weak strength is used as the electric wire, damage of the electric wire is easily generated.
Further, as the power integration 3 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the electric wire is guided near the guide portion 9, the wiring harness L2 guided from the power integration 3 interferes with the wiring harness L1 guided from the cassette block 2 arranged at a position away from the guide portion 9. Thereby, the lower cover 5 can not be more closed. In this case, when the lower cover 5 is forcibly closed, as discussed previously, the electric wires of the wiring harnesses L1, L2 may be damaged. Furthermore, since load is applied to a terminal caulking portion of connector connecting the power integration 3 and the wiring harness L2 guided from the power integration 3, poorly fitting electrical contacts may be produced.
So, in order to resolve the above problem, so far, the gap between the lower cover 5 and the partition wall 42 was increased so as to avoid damaging the electric wires. However, when the gap between the lower cover 5 and the partition wall 42 is increased, the capacity of the lower cover 5 is increased. As a result, there is a problem such that the whole of the case 1 becomes larger.
[Patent document 1] JP, A, 2010-51094
[Patent Document 2] JP, A, 2006-280038